Machine for winding base-balls.



E. A. MILLER.

MACHINE FOB WINDING BASE BALLS.

1 APPLIOATIO1\I FILED JAN. 2, 1912. r 1,047,678. Patented Dec. 1?;1912.

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IVITNESSES: v v I ZZ/ZZZUZ Z' E. A. MILL R; MACHINE FOR WINDING BASEBALLS APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1912.

Patented Dec. 17,1912.

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E. A. MILLER.

MACHINE FOR WINDING BASE BALLS.

APPLIGATION'IILED JAN. 2, 1912.

Patented Dec.17,1912.

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' [.VVEMTOQ .l /zZ, vi. 174550;

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ATTORNEY.

B! A. MILLER. MACHINE FOR WINDING BASE BALLS,

APPLICATION FILED J'AN.2, 1912 iMIL A. MILLER, or GHICOPEE FALLS,MASSACHUSETTS.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

MACHINE FOR WINDING BASE-BALLS.

Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

Application filed January 2, 1912. Serial No. 668,841.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, German subject, andresident of C-hicopee F alls, in the county of Hampden and StateofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMachines for VVlnding Base-Balls, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

rolling movement for the imparting thereto of its spherical shape.

This invention relates to an improved machme, for the wlnding of strmg,yarn or the like about a core most especially for the pro-" duction ofthe body'of a base ball.

. In the present machine is comprised a rotatable drum cooperativewithwhich is a ball holder mounted to have a yielding or recedingmovement relatively to the drum to accommodate itself to the enlargementof the ball while being made, and which ballholder has amovement backand forth par allel with the'axis of the drum so that the ball beingwound in the holder. will have a The machine, furthermore, comprisesmeans whereby not only the drum is axially reciprocated, in addition toits rotatable movement, and the ball. holder reciprocatinglym'ovedrelatively tot-he drum, but also whereby the limits of the reciprocatingmovements of the drum and ball holder may be separately varied andregulated.

The machine, furthermore, comprises .means whereby when the ball hasbecome wound to a given size the ball holder will be autoi'naticallythrown to a posit-ion away from the periphery of the drum to result in atermination of the ball winding action. And in connection with the lastmentioned automatic naeans, a device is provided whereby, aspredetermined, the automatic withdiawal of the ball holder from itsworkii'ig proximity to the drum will take place either when the ball ismade up to a comparatively small or to a large diameter; and otherobjects of the invention areattained in and by the organization of themachine as will be hereinafter rendered apparent.

The invention is described incon'junction with the accompanying drawingsand is set forth in the claims.

In the drawings -Figure l is a plan view of the'ball winding machine.Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig.3 is a right hand endelevation of the machine. Fig. l is a vertical section on a larger scaleof a part of the machine taken on line l -1', Fig.

EMILv A. MILLER, "a'

2. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation as seen beyond the plane indicated byline 55, Fig. 2. Fig; 6 is a plan view of the part of the portionof themachine which in Fig. 4 is- -shown 1n vertical section.

In the drawings, A represents the supporting structure or machine frameof suitable design, of which a dat supporting uprights for a shaft B onwhich the axially horizontal drum C is mounted.

D represents the driving shaft of the macliine',-D; and D? representingthe pulley and drivingbelt therefor.

Rotary motion is imparted to the drum 'carrying'shaft' G through meansofbevel gears b b, shaft 6, sprocket wheels 6 and, b, and sprocket chain6 A portion of the drum carrying 'shaftG intermediate between theuprights a (which portion is indicated by cin Figs. 1, 2 and 5) is'ofsquare,-or equivalent,-form;. and the drum 0 which is preferably madehollow'and with opposite end heads, has cent-rally'in such end headssquare'apertures whereby the drum while capable of sliding motionaxially relatively to the shaft is constrained to rotate in unison withthe shaft. The drum is peripherally scored or roughened to increase itsefficiency in the ball. winding action.

Reciprocatory movement of the drum on the shaft B by which it isrotatably carried is imparted by means as follows: The driving shaft Dhas a gear wheel f thereon which meshes into a gear wheel f on an idlershaft f which latter shaft also has gear wheel, thereon in mesh withgear wheel, or pinion, f", on a countershaft f. The shaft has a faceplate. (Z on its end, which is equipped with a. crank pin (Z to whicha-radial adjustment may be given through meansof the screw d in a welllniownmanner. The yoke frame E slidably guided through supporting ways Etherefor has connection with the extended hub (F at one end of the drumC; and the pitinan rod E connects the crank pin (Z and the yoke frame E.As manifest, according to the radial adjustment of the crank pin therange .of back and forth movement of the drum C may be-correspondinglymore or less. 'The portion of theframe below where the drum C has itslocation-is made with parallel .horlzontal runner bars 9 g in frontandrear pairs on which a frame G is mounted for sliding movement parallelwith the axis of the drum. The means for imparting sents an angularlever on the inturned ex tremity of the upstanding arm of which .theball holder is fulcrumed on the pivot 71. The ball holder proper, thelocation of which is above its pivoted connection with the up.

standing arm of the angle lever J consists of ahead or block havingarecess therein which is open both to the top and to the rear side ofthe head and the wall 2' of such recess having the conformation ofapproximately a quarter of a sphere, the diameter of which is as great,or slightly greater than that of the completely wound ball bodies to beproduced in the ,machine'by winding. The ball holder has a dependingmember or extension-H to the rear of and more or less separated from theupstanding'end of the angle lever. The angle lever J at its elbow isfulcrumed on the front upper bar of the carrier frame G; and the lowerarm thereof extends substantially horizontalfor a considerable distancerearwardly. The sprmg 70 has one end thereof attached to the extremityof the lower arm of the angular lever and its other to the carrier frameGr and is operative for the exertion of the force to swing the anglelever and the ball carrying head yieldingly toward the drum C. L (seeFig. especially), represents a latch for the ball holder which is madein the form of a straight bar having a slot longitudinally along itsmiddle portion through which slotted portion it is by the stud mfulcrumed on a transverse member of the carrier frame G above horizontalarm of the lever J. This latch lever is arranged for engagement with thelower end portion of the depending member H of the ball holder; and itis capable by reason of its stud and slot form of support of an endwisesliding as well as a rocking movement.

' On and adjacent the upstanding bracket m of the-carrier frame a curvedlever n is fulcrumed by the pivot n ,the link 0 connecting one arm ofthis curved lever to the rear extremity of the angle lever while thelowerarm of the curved lever n has a stud and slot engagement indicatedat n with the latch bar L so that under the swinging of the curved lever71. by reason of its articulation with the angle lever J,.the latch barwill have an endwise movement for accommodation to or correspondencewith the swinging movement which the ball carrierhas in its recedenceforwardly from the drum as in the winding operation the ball becomesenlarged; and yet the engagement between the curved lever 72 and latchbar L is such that the independent rocking movement of the latch will bepermitted.

The rearwardly extending arin of the angular lever is more or lessnearly directly under the latch bar; and there is an abutment providedon the one and for coopera-v tion with the other of. the last namedparts so that under a swinging of the angle lever in sufficient extent,the latch bar will be swung far enough to move out of engagement withthe depending extension H? of the ball holder, leaving the latter freeto be swung, because of the'reaction of the spring p forwardly away fromthe drum to result automatically in the termination 'of the ball windingoperation. As shown, the abutment consists of a screw 9 verticallypositioned and threading through the rear arm of the latch lever; and itis, of course, susceptible of vertical adjustment for a greater or lessdegree lost motion between the angle lever and the latchlever.

' On the reciprocation of the parrier frame G horizontally parallelwith-the axis of the drum, means are provided as follows: M representsan eccentric on a .countershaft M which by the gears M and M is drivenon the driving shaft. The eccentric strap continued in the eccentric rodM has connection with theadjacent arm of a pair of levers N N which aresupported on a hollow cross girder N 2 of the machine frame. The

opposite and outer extremities of the levers N N are by the links P Pconnected with the. carrier frame vGr,-such being a balanced.- form ofconnection for the imparting of an equable reciprocatory. movement tothe frame.

The rangeof the reciprocatory movement may be increasedor shortened asmay be demanded for the best and most satisfactory winding operation ofthe machine by the provisions as follows: A pair of blocks 25 t arefitted in, the hollow or box like girder N provided with studs t?upstanding therefrom and projecting through apertures in the top of. thebox and also-in engagei nent through longitudinal slots 23 in the leversN N. The blocks t are slidably adjustable and the upstanding studscarried thereby whereby the throw of the arms thereof which are linkedto the carrier frame G may be varied. The sliding adjustments of theblocks zf't is effected bythe turning of the right and left screwthreaded shaft R, which shaft is journaled'for rotation in thesupporting part N therefor but restrained, as

i will be clearly perceived inFig. at, from having any endwisemotion,the right and left hand threads of such shaft screw engagingthrough the box. I I

The string or'yarn being engaged with the spherical core :0 placed inthe'ball holder and the machine started with the parts set asrepresented in Fig. 5, as the winding progresses and theball becomesenlarged,

' the ball holder will be forced gradually formake adjustable fulcrumsfor the le vers f,vvardly correspondingly swinging the angle blever'J on"which it is pivoted and latched qby th'ebar L. The springk"keeps theangle j'latch; leveris caused, through the means hereinabove fullydescribed, tocreep rear-' After the ball has become more orlesswound, thwardly swingingrear f wardly.

arm of the angle lever engages the abutment 9- and rocks the latch leveruntil thesame finally, as predetermined by the adustment of'the abutmentg, disengages from thelball holder extension so'that the holder I H isswungforwardly on, and independentlyfof, the angle lever, and ceases toimpart a pressure to keep the ball in engagementwith the drum;- Thespring 1 between the member H and the upstanding arm'of the angle lever,encircles the slightly curved handle provided rod 7', a portion of whichpasses through an aperture; therefor in the angle leverarmr This-handlerod is convenient for the resetting "and relatching of thedevices,'itbeing here noted that on the forward drive' of thepush rod 1so thatthe extremity ofmeinber H is forward of the .iproximate end ofthe latch "bar L, the latter by its spring a will be automaticallysnapped to engagement. 1

Under the rotative and-also the reciprocatorymovement of the drum, theball being wound is rolled not only on an axis parallel to that of thedrum but on other axes vari' ably angular thereto; and the reciprocationadditionally of the ball holder parallel with the axis of the "drumincreases and renders more universal" the rollings of the ball for itsmost perfect spherical completion, especially as will be appreciated in.view of the fact that the 'reciprocatory movements of the drum and ofthe pawl carrier are not usually concurrent, are not at the same speed,and I are not in the same extents.

I claim 1. The combination with a rotatable drum, of a lever, a'ball-holder-pivotally mounted on an arm of the lever, and in proximityto the drum, a spring reacting against the lever for swinging theholder-carrying arm thereof toward the drum, a latch bar intermediatelyfulcrumed and also slidable with which the depending member of theholder has an engagement, said angular lever being arranged forcooperation with the latch bar whereby under the -swinging movement ofthe lever a swmging movement w ll be imparted to the: latch bar for itsdisengagement with the ball holder, means actuated by the lever forsliding the latch bar 111 conjunction with the swinging movement of 1direction for forcing it away from the coinbi nation with a rotatblggqa,

holder pivotally mounted on an; aifm Q; 8'

ing the holder carrying arm thereof 'thejdrum, a latchbar'intermejdiately u crumed and. also longitudinally slidable wi"arranged for cooperation with th partedto the latch barf for; h nt withthe 'ball holder,

tion forforc'ing it awaylfrorn-th eidrurn."

v otally mounted "on an arm of th said angular lever being arranged forco? "operation with the latch bar whereby funde such lever, and means'forexerting a' yield I.

ingpressure" against the ball holder 2. 'In a maohine'of the chara'cferde reciprocatory drum, ofa ever, nd

lever, and proximity 't'o E-the' gamma spring reacting" against thelever'for 5 ingwhich the depending member' of hasan engagement, said anular leve ,b'

whereby under [the the lever a' swinging movement wmounted leverflinkedtothfe anglil i and having a draft engage latch bar, and means for exer3. In a machineof the character in combination, a rotatable" allciprocatory' drum, a lever, "a ballho in proximity to the drum,afsprihgieactjng f" against the lever for swinging the older carryingarm thereof toward th 3 fulcrumed latch with whic efdepe 7 member of theholder hasiarr engagement,

the swinging movement of the'leveriti'vi have a lost motion engagementasthma that a swinging movement-willibc impar to the latchbar for itsdisengag 'nene the ball holder, 1 means for va'ryi'ngthe' the motionbetween the engaging lever fid latch bar, anclmeans for exerting ieldpressure against. the ball holder'in tion for forcing it away fromtliefdruni;

4. In a machine of the character described, 11b in combination, arotatable drum, an angular lever having an upstanding and a hori-.zontal extending arm, a ball holder adjacent and cooperative with thedrum piv- Qtally mounted on the upstanding arm of the lever and having adepending lever-like member, a spring reacting for swinging the ballholder in a direction away from the drum, a spring for swinging theangular lever to force its upstanding arnitoward the drum, a latchbarintermediately'fuL crumed and constrained for an endwise m ovement,located above the horizontal arm of the angular lever, provided with anadjustable abutment stud, another lever inter- 'mediatly-pivotallymounted and having an engagement with the latch barand a link connectingthe last named lever with the horizontal arm of the angular lever.

5.In a machine of the character described,

in combination, an axially horizontal rotatable drum, a frame slid'ablymounted for movement parallel with the axis of the drum and means forimparting a reciprocatory movement thereto, a lever pivot-ally mountedon and bodily movable with said frame, a ball holder pivotally mountedon an arm of the lever and having its location in cooperative proximityto said arm, a spring reacting against the lever for swinging the holdercarrying arm thereof toward the drum, a fulcrumed latch with which theholder has an engagement, said lever being arrangedfor cooperation withthe latch so that under the swinging movement of the lever a swingingmovement will be imparted to the latch, and a spring for exerting apressure against the ball holder to move it in a direction awayfrom thedrum.

6. In a ball winding machine, in combination, a supporting frame having.a shaft horizontally mounted thereon and means for rotating said shaft,a drum mounted on said shaft and slidable endwise relatively thereto.but constrained for rotation in unison with the shaft, a frame slidablymounted on the supporting frame for movements parallel with the axis ofthe drum, a ball holder carried by said slidable frame and yieldinglycooperative with the drum, a yoke frame slidably supported on themachine frame and having connection with the drum, means for impartingreciprocatory movement to the slide yoke, and means for impartingreciprocatory movement to the ball holder carrying slideframe.

7. In a ball winding machine, a winding drum, means for rotating thedrum on a fixed axis and at the same time moving. it endwise, an arm, ahead on the arm having a cavity for slipporting the ball to be wound toproject beyond the cavity in the head, the

' arm being supported to swing to and from the drum, and also bodilymovable parallel to the axis of the drum, and means for impartingdissimilar movements to the drum the lever, .a spring engaging the leverto,

cause it to press the arm and holder toward the drum, means for causingthe swinging of the lever, by the holder and arm to swing the latch barto disengage'the arm therefrom, the latch bar being endwise movable onits pivot, and means for imparting endwise movement to the latch barfrom the said swinging of the lever by the holder and arm.

9. In a ball winding machine, a winding drum, a bent lever pivoted onthe machine, an arm pivoted on the lever, a ball holder fast on the armon one side of its pivot, a swinging latch bar having its extremityarranged to be engaged by the said arm, a spring connected with the bentlever to swing it to advance the arm and press the holder against-thedrum andalso to press the arm against the end of the latch bar, and.means for causing the swinging of the lever by the holder and arm toswing the latch bar and shift its extremity beyond the arm to free theholder, the latch bar being also endwise movable, and means connectedwiththe bent lever for imparting a slow endwise advance of the latch baras the lever is swung by the ball being wound.

Signed by me at Springfield, Mass, in presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

EMIL A. MILLER.

Vitnesses:

G. R. DRISCOLL, E. E. ERIC-SON.

